Gun Crime
It is one of the most controversial topics in America. Nearly 1/3 of adults in the USA own one.
Guns.
This topic has caused serious debate, some people say that citizens shouldn’t be able to get a gun legally while others argue that American citizens have the right to defend themselves. This law has been around since the late 1700’s it stated that, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Meaning citizens of America have the right to own a fire arm for their own security.
So what are the positives and negatives to the gun laws in the United States?
Anyone over the age of 18 is allowed to buy a rifle or shotgun from a licensed dealer in any state with over-21s able to buy handguns too. Many people own guns in the USA to protect themselves and their property from trespassers, in a society where it’s the norm for people to own guns getting rid of this law would cause uprising in the US as people would say they have always been allowed guns. Imagine a situation for example a mugging, the mugger has a knife however you have a gun, you take it out thus shielding yourself from a potential mugging, it was used for your own security.
200,000 times a year women use guns to protect themselves from sexual abuse as said by ‘American gun facts.com.’ in this sense if guns were banned these women would be left vulnerable and traumatized by what would have happened.
Furthermore if guns were barred criminals who intend to use a gun would result in other forms of violence such as knives, similarly banning guns would mean that criminals would still be armed. Many have said its “people that kill people and not guns,” taking away guns leaves the citizens defenceless against criminals.
Although this law has been around for 300 years, president Obama has caused debate by challenging this law after several mass murders that have taken place, in particular the shootings at a school in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty children and six women were killed in the tragedy. After killing his mother, Lanza apparently stole a number of her guns and drove her car five miles to the school, which he attended as a child. At about 09:30, Lanza shot his way into the school. When the police arrived, they found the school’s front windows were shattered. Authorities say the shooting only lasted a few minutes and victims were found in two rooms. Lanza apparently shot himself.
Connecticut medical examiner H Wayne Carver said that the seven dead children he personally examined had been shot between three and 11 times each, and two of those were shot at close range. Obama spoke about the devastating event urging people to end the gun policy he said “We’ve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. Whether it’s an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theatre in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago — these neighbourhoods are our neighbourhoods”
The above graph shows how many people killed by firearms versus how many are killed in terrorism acts.
Bradley cooper and Kim Kardashian as well as other famous celebrities -0 support Barack Obamas opinion that gun laws should be changed in America, if guns were banned many mass murders wouldn’t have happened such as the shootings in California during a dark night rises screening.
Obama has made stricter laws on guns by enforcing that all gun sellers perform a background check on those interested in buying guns, he said that even though this hasn’t banned guns he hopes the number of deaths will be reduced
If you compare the above figures to the UK where guns are banned the USA is significantly higher. If guns were banned this number would reduce dramatically saving thousands of lives per year.
So should gun laws be stricter in America or stay how they are?
